Being Wronged

What They Value and How it Affects Their Relationship

It is explicitly stated within the dialogue between Grace and Trip that they got married at a very young age, right after college actually. In my experience playing the game, Grace almost constantly accuses Trip of snatching her dreams away from her. She says that she wanted to become an artist but Trip didn't appreciate that, so she ended up dropping what she valued for him. She changed her life course just so he could be satisfied.

As the player, you're forced to play a role in the story. It is very evident that Trip and Grace are having issues and they often drag you, the player, into their arguments, making it difficult to stay neutral. This act here is what challenges both the players and the characters values. We have our own opinions and values, as do they, and when you're forced to choose sides, they're basically asking you to weigh your values. You may agree with the both of them and can see some type of compromise but inevitably, you'll have to choose which is higher on your list. Flanagan and Nissenbaum describe values as "properties of things and states of affairs that we care about and strive to obtain." (5) It's clear through the dialogues the couple have, they both don't value the same things which results in many disputes. In the case of Grace, she makes it known that she regrets dropping her artistic pursuits in favor of Trip. She regrets losing her value of art for her value of a "happy relationship."

The image depicts a snapshot of a scene where Trip is trying to re-enact his wedding proposal that Grace does not want to have happen. Throughout the scene, he keeps trying to force her to play along with his romantic gimmick and continues to express that it was on Christmas Eve while they were surrounded by her family. He believes it was so romantic and that Grace loved the experience when in reality, she would've preferred something much more mellow. She isn't a fan of huge gestures and would've preferred something more private. This is an example of how their values didn't align with one another. This is just one of the many stepping stones that led to their faltering relationship.

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